Fears of Troop B closing might not be far-fetched

NORTH CANAAN — The question keeps coming up: Is Troop B slated to close?The answer remains a firm “no” from the state Department of Emergency Service and Public Protection. But many state troopers and civilian dispatchers remain adamant it is headed in that direction. Local officials and legislators see the implications as too serious to ignore the possibility.The plan made public continues to be a consolidation of dispatch services for Troop B in North Canaan, Troop A in Southbury and Troop L in Litchfield. The goal is to save money and move troopers from a dispatch desk to road patrol, in hopes of increasing public safety.That raises concerns that immediate help for Troop B walk-ins will not be available during the overnight hours.State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) told local officials at a legislative update breakfast in Cornwall last week that the response he received to his request for plans for the dispatch consolidation was that there are no plans on paper. “I was also told Troop B won’t close but will be essentially empty. They can say it will remain open because there will be a phone in the lobby,” he said.While the phone will get an immediate response, there is a good possibility that the person who responds will be in Litchfield. That is not good enough, opponents to the consolidation say. There are situations that require immediate assistance from a trooper.Roraback said he has heard from many troopers that this is just the first step in closing Troop B.“None will speak for attribution because they fear retaliation from the brass,” he said. “I have asked to meet with the commissioner and requested a plan so I can understand what it is, staffing levels and costs. So far, if the phone doesn’t ring, it’s the commissioner.”State Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64) asked the department for an incident report of people who come to Troop B at night. “I was told no one ever comes in at night. The number is a big zero,” Willis said.Dispatcher speaks outNot so, said Penny Terry, a civilian dispatcher at Troop B for 27 years. She recently became eligible for her maximum pension (less than half her annual salary) and will retire May 1. She approached The Lakeville Journal earlier this week, anxious to tell what she knows, and what she believes will happen.She listed some of the reasons people come to Troop B. They might be looking for directions, reporting a runaway child, requesting to have their vehicle checked after hitting a deer, reporting an accident or something suspicious, or involved in a domestic situation and needing immediate protection.“Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean that kind of stuff stops,” Terry said. Terry said Troop B personnel have been notified the consolidation will take place Sunday, April 1, and that Troop B officers were meeting with Deputy Commissioner Danny Stebbins Monday, Feb. 27, to hear final details of the plan. Troop B Commander Lt. David Rice did not return a call to verify that date.Currently a sergeant is in the building every shift to supervise.“But if there’s a big accident or something major is going on, he’s going to go out on it, so there is a real potential that at any given time of night this building will be empty,” Terry said.In most of the state, cities and towns have their own police force. State Police patrols are essentially for major highways. In the northwest and northeast corners, troopers play a very different role. Small towns depend on them to patrol all roads and handle every emergency. Some towns choose to pay for a resident state trooper, but they are on duty only five out of 21 shifts per week. A few towns have quasi-police departments, with more than one resident state trooper and local constables, so that someone is always on duty there.“I give it two years. Troop B will close completely,” Terry said. “It doesn’t make any sense. Crime is on the rise. This is going backward.”Does she believe the state’s plan is to force more towns to take on the financial burden by hiring more resident troopers?“Absolutely,” she said.The cost of a resident state trooper’s salary, benefits, vehicle maintenance and fuel is about $150,000. Towns share in the cost with the state. An obvious issue for anyone who has worked in emergency response is the potential loss of people who know the towns and roads, and can quickly give directions or find a location without having to consult a map.In a Dec. 21, 2011, letter to Willis, Stebbins wrote, “A training program will be provided for those dispatchers who express concern as to working in a regional dispatch center owing to a lack of knowledge as to their broadened area of responsibility.”Terry, who lives in East Canaan, said she is among those who would give up their job rather than travel all the way to Litchfield. “It’s not just about the time and gas, but when the roads are bad, we sit here and take call after call about accidents, especially on Robert’s Hill on Route 63,” Terry said. “I didn’t sign up to be out driving in that, and what happens when dispatchers no longer live close by and can’t get to work?”Stebbins’ letter states that full-time personnel were dedicated for the prior seven months to studying the regionalization. However, no plan on paper is available.